an advent calendar for all eternity
We have two quilted advent calendars that my mum made many years ago. Sam and Annie used them for many years, now it is James' and Alistair's turn. We hung them on their doors. Alistair ate 15 of the the chocolates on the first day of Advent, and a few of James', too. I replaced the ones he took from James' calendar with what was left in his and the empty calendar is now a reminder for Alistair not to let the craving for chocolate overcome him. He is taking it remarkably well.
Anyway, I wanted an advent calendar myself, one with deep pockets that could fit nice big chocolates. I followed this tutorial up to the point of joining it all together. The joining instructions seemed weirdly complicated and I went my own way. Looking back, the tutorial is a bit wasteful on fabrics because for the numbers you cut an entire square of fabric, most of which is wasted once the numbers are cut out. Next time I'll use scraps. There must be simpler tutorials out there in the inter web but I liked the look of this one.
I am quite pleased with myself for making the appliqué numbers actually. I used the number template provided in the tutorial and some kind of sticky appliqué fusible webbing to cut the numbers out and to stick it to the fabric before stitching the on with an appliqué stitch that I found on my sewing machine. I thought this would be immensely fiddly but it was not too bad.
The final product is quite large, almost the width of our living room door. The pockets enormous and each contains three chocolates for Annie, Richard and I. Annie and I take turns at taking first dibs, Richard doesn't mind one way or other.
I really like the cheerful colours of the advent calendar and I know I'll love it for many more count-downs to Christmas.
Do you have an advent calendar? We all have one now, even Jack the lucky pup.
I hope to catch up with blog reading soon. It was such a busy week at work with students arriving from all around the globe for a week of laboratory practicals. I am only just recovering! I have seven days of work left before I break up for Christmas.
Thanks for visiting. Happy Sunday all! Christina xx
How strange to read this just after I had been talking about making one next year for the different households in our family. I was a bit disappointed with the shop bought ones this year and said I’d make my own next year. Love the look of yours although I’m not sure I would be great with the appliqued numbers. I will go and have a look at the pattern. Alastair’s antics made me smile. Boys! Have a good week. B x
ReplyDeleteThe applique numbers are a triumph, such a nice shape. My girls have been sewing today. Meg had a sewing machine given to her by one of my friends and she tried every single stitch on it! That means we all have a machine each! I have a felt Laura Ashley one which is 12 years old and Andy and I don't have chocs but the girls have chocolate pennies. This year we added messages into some pockets - you can stop up until 9pm, you can have fizzy pop with tea, we will all play on the wii. They prefer these to chocolates. :) Jo xx
ReplyDeleteOoh, only seven days, that's good. The applique is brilliant, all very well done. Alistair made me laugh with the chocolate eating - oh dear. I fear one or two of us might also have been tempted. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that we had Advent calendars as children, not that I can remember anyway. I have also never bought one for my children does that make me an old meany? I have thought about making one but never got any further than that! I do love yours though so maybe I could be tempted......
ReplyDeleteI hope Alistair has not been helping himself to any more chocolate!
I think it is fabulous! A wonderful keepsake. I am just saying it would be hard for me not to eat all the chocolate too!
ReplyDeleteHahaa Alistair's chocolate eating made me laugh. :)
ReplyDeleteBeing raised as a Buddhist, I didn't know about advent calendars until recently. I don't mind having a calendar full of chocolates. :)
Our grands are getting older, and since they're not here a lot, we don't have an advent calendar as such. We do have a Santa with tiny advent pockets, but we don't use it for that.
ReplyDeleteBravo on the advent calendar! We did not grow up with them and I never got one for my kids as it wasn't something I was familiar with. But last year I bought one from blogger Alicia Paulson and had a lot of fun with it. I guess your son didn't get the memo only one a day? LOL! ((hugs)), Teresa :-
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*H*A*P*P*Y* * *H*O*L*I*D*A*Y*S*!*!*!*
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That's a funny story. It brings back memories of opening my Christmas presents early and wrapping them back up before my mom got home. She figured it out, and was furious. Very nice advent calendars...
ReplyDeleteLove that Advent calendar! They didn't feature in my childhood so I make up for it now by having two calendars - a cardboard one and an M&S beauty one. So it's a case of the Christmas story unfolding and a new nail polish to play with.
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